Back in 2010, when I launched Comic Con India, I had never actually experienced a similar show. I only got to experience international conventions much later. And over the past 7 years, I have had the pleasure of visiting shows in the United States, such as the ones in New York and San Diego. I have also visited brand new shows in Dubai and China. And while visiting shows in the States is always fun, thanks to easy access to content, the real fun lies in visiting new shows in burgeoning pop-culture markets, seeing the similarities and differences. The experience is extremely enriching and fun at the same time.

Which is what brought me to yet another burgeoning pop-culture market at the 2nd edition of Lanka Comic Con (LCC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Started by the members of the Geek Club of Sri Lanka in 2015, LCC becomes the latest show on the International pop culture scene to capitalize on the fast growing market of passion play events. The show witnessed over 10,000 visitors along with about 30 odd exhibitors and sponsors such as Asus, Etisalat as well as numerous local brands and partners.

From being a small segment of a gaming show in 2015, to a full-fledged convention spread of 4500 sq meters with guests and geeky experiences, LCC has grown extremely fast. It has led to a spurt in the pop-culture scene, encouraging not just fans to acknowledge their passions, but a slew of local creators and businesses to start catering to the market.

The show featured brands such as Asus and Etisalat as key sponsors eager to tap into the platform and engage with this audience. ASUS was the presenting sponsor, with the biggest experience zone, giving a chance to fans to try out their products and have fun at the same time. Local pop-culture oriented retailers selling comics, toys and geeky merchandise have also emerged over the past two years.

The show also featured local creativity with talent such as Sachi Ediriweera with his debut graphic novel – Lionborn that re-imagines the Sri Lankan legend of Sinhabahu. Thilani Samarasinha, who also debuted her graphic novel – Extraordinary, at the show.

LCC’s growth signifies the popularity of the platform with businesses and creators wanting to tap into the youth audience. It also serves as a great opportunity for promoting cultural exchanges, with the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka officially kicking off the show and also promoting local creators, by sanctioning a special U.S. State department grant for the Geek Club of Sri Lanka to publish local comics.

LCC also made International headlines, thanks to the quick action taken by the local geek community to stand up against online trolling and harassment. The community rallied around two Wonder Woman cosplayers, when they were trolled online for their looks, so much so, that Wonder Woman AKA Gal Gadot herself came to the rescue of the cosplayers on Twitter, showing her solidarity with them.

LCC is the perfect example of a growing passion play event, which is not only thriving but also growing the entire business ecosystem with it. I am already looking forward to attending the 2018 edition and have picked up quite a few interesting lessons for my own shows starting with Hyderabad Comic Con, scheduled for 14-15th October.

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